Generations Riviera Maya

Unfortunately, my stay was far below expectations.

The problems started before I even arrived. When I made my reservation through the call center, Dolores never asked whose name the reservation should be under or which email address should receive the confirmation. She simply processed the booking without verifying any information or asking for additional details.

Upon arrival, I immediately noticed a lack of coordination. There was no welcome, and I was not directed to the Exotic Members Reception, as if no one was expecting me.

During my stay, I experienced several issues. The most frustrating was the room door: neither my wristband nor the key cards would unlock it. I had my keys reprogrammed at least six times, but the problem was never fixed. I eventually requested a room change, but Marisela González initially refused, even though my room was on the fifth floor and the elevator was out of service. Every time my door failed to open, I had to walk up and down five flights of stairs.

On top of that, the complimentary evening turndown service—a benefit members are required to sign for upon arrival—was skipped on two different nights.

The biggest disappointment came when I wanted to extend my stay by one night. Marisela González told me it was not possible to extend my existing reservation and advised me to make a brand-new reservation instead. I followed her instructions immediately. However, when I returned to confirm everything, she completely changed her explanation, saying the new reservation would now be treated as an extension instead of a separate stay. As a result, I lost my Exotic member benefits. She also insisted I remain in the same room with the defective door lock. I followed her directions exactly, yet I was the one who ended up being penalized.

To make matters worse, Room 19531 had a broken shower and dirty bed sheets, forcing me to sleep in my brother's room. I found this completely unacceptable and very unprofessional.

I would also like to mention an unpleasant experience during the catamaran excursion. At the end of the trip, the crew did not present tipping as optional. Instead, they explicitly stated that the "minimum contribution" was MXN $100 per person. A tip should always reflect the quality of the service received and remain entirely voluntary—not be presented as though it were a mandatory fee. This practice is inconsistent with the level of hospitality that a luxury resort should provide.

Despite all of these issues, there were several employees who truly stood out for their professionalism and dedication. Mr. Rodrigo from Food & Beverage made our next two dinner reservations exceptional, along with the outstanding team at the Italian restaurant—Urbano, Pastrana, Silverio, and the chef, whose food was excellent. I also want to recognize Karla at the Front Desk, Amado at Santa Fe Restaurant, Lupita at Rancho, Hermes from Grupo Lomas Activities Reservations, Alex at the Gala Dinner, and especially Israel, our butler, who was the only person who consistently anticipated and took care of our needs throughout our stay.

The contrast between these outstanding employees and the rest of the operation makes it clear that the hotel's problem is not a lack of talented staff, but rather inconsistent management, poor communication, and weak leadership.

What concerns me most is that the hotel continues to sell memberships by promising first-class service and an exclusive luxury experience, while the reality I experienced was very different. If you are considering purchasing an Exotic membership, I strongly encourage you to read recent guest reviews before making that investment.

I sincerely hope management takes these concerns seriously. The dedication of a few exceptional employees cannot compensate for an operation that has clearly lost the level of quality and consistency that once made this resort stand out.

We have been Emerald-level Exotic Travelers members for nine years and have stayed at many Exotic properties, including Prestige properties before the split. We chose Generations because there are only two Exotic properties that truly cater to families. Unfortunately, this stay was disappointing and well below the standard we expect as long-time Emerald members.

There were some positives. The property is small and easy to navigate, which is helpful with kids. Ana, our butler, was excellent—warm, helpful, and one of the highlights of the trip. Javier from housekeeping also did an outstanding job every day. The pool was clean and enjoyable, and we liked Jade and Wine Kitchen best for dining. Aqua Nick was also a fun excursion for our kids. Our room was very spacious and the layout worked well for a family.

That said, the problems were significant. The pre-arrival experience was awful. We received one email the Monday of our arrival week to complete the pre-arrival form and then heard nothing else until less than 24 hours before arrival, despite multiple emails from me trying to confirm transportation. When we landed in Cancun, we learned the wrong transportation had been arranged. Then when we arrived at the resort, we were dropped at the main office with no escort or direction to member check-in. As Emerald members, the arrival experience felt disorganized and anything but special.

The room itself was large, but dark, dated, and in need of renovation. We had to turn on every light just to make it reasonably bright, and even then it still felt dim. The room lacked natural light, and even a burned-out light over the stove that we reported was never fixed. Turndown service was also inconsistent and careless—missed one night, moved our things after we asked them not to, and sprayed the room with a scent we did not choose.

More broadly, the property feels tired and neglected. The fitness room was run down and also needs a makeover. Overall, this resort needs a renovation. Even at only 40% occupancy, the service and upkeep felt inconsistent and underwhelming rather than attentive.

At this point, I am not interested in receiving the resort’s standard generic response thanking me for my feedback and saying they will share it with the team. Every negative review seems to receive the same dismissive reply, yet the reviews remain poor and nothing appears to improve. What this property needs is not another copy-and-paste response—it needs meaningful changes in service, upkeep, and overall quality.